Thiel Owners

Greetings from Prague — longtime passive lurker here. I’ve found lots of useful information and many interesting stories (thank you, tomthiel!) here .

I’m a big fan of Thiel loudspeakers. It all started with the CS2.4 a few years ago. Currently, I own the CS3.7 and CS2.3 in a secondary system.

Now I’m contemplating the CS7.2, CS5i, CS7 or CS2.7. They’re currently all for sale relatively close by and at roughly the same price — $4,500. Are any of them worth it compared to the CS3.7? Can any of them deliver fuller mids and the same smoothness as the CS3.7?

Or are the CS3.7 truly the "final" Thiels and I should invest elsewhere — electronics, room treatment and so on?

My amps are Threshold SA/2 Class A monoblocks. I believe they have plenty of current delivery. My current listening room is small, but I plan for a bigger one in a new house.

I sold the CS2.4 after I got the 3.7s. The CS2.4s were always a little edgy, but had more midbass — which I think is slightly lacking in the CS3.7.

Overall, for me, the CS2.4 perform better in technical aspects than the CS2.3, but they lack the refinement of the CS3.7. I would prefer a slightly more relaxed frequency response.

The CS2.3 has a nicely relaxed frequency response, but lacks the detail, separation, and refinement of the CS3.7. But they’re still Thiels, and to me, they’re great for casual listening and movies, as they’re slightly more forgiving. And with good amplification, you can still enjoy well-recorded music.

I mainly listen to acoustic music and have a strong bias toward smooth vocals and instrument separation. The CS3.7s are fabulous at this task, given proper amplification and a good DAC. But I would appreciate slightly more dynamics and more midbass energy.

Thank you all in advance!

Some of my reference recordings:

https://tidal.com/browse/album/315756254?u

https://tidal.com/browse/album/1099334?u

https://tidal.com/browse/album/16991276?u

https://tidal.com/browse/album/70197763?u

https://tidal.com/browse/album/142845359?u

https://tidal.com/browse/album/114542267?u

https://tidal.com/browse/album/214198636?u 

@brunner007, While perhaps not addressing you immediate question; the Threshold SA/2’s while very lovely amps with good current delivery into impedance, I think the Threshold SA/ 2’s have about the bare minimum power output needed for some of the Thiel’s you’re considering. Perhaps you might consider more powerful amps, especially if you’re considering a larger room.

Speaking of Smart Subs, does anyone know the difference between the SS2 and the SS2.2?

I imagine it’s maybe an upgraded amp or room correction circuit?

@unsound, thank you for your suggestion. I agree, the SA/2s are not the most powerful amps. I also have Hypex NC500 monoblocks (700W into 4 ohms) and a Pass Labs X150. But the Thresholds have such lovely mids and rich, detailed bass :)

Unfortunately, top Thiel models are really scarce here in Europe—especially if you're looking for ones in good condition and at a reasonable price. Finding suitable amps for them is much easier. That’s why I’m considering buying the loudspeakers while they’re available, and then getting different amps later on.

@brunner007, I agree with your plan. Your Threshold SA/2’s should be adequate (just) in the interim, but choosing your speakers first is prudent. Though waiting until you are in your next room might make more sense.